October 15, 2026 – To accommodate the heavy surge in passenger demand during the ongoing festive season, the Northern Railway has announced the introduction of eight special train services linking the Jammu Division with major destinations, including New Delhi, Varanasi, and Chhapra in Bihar.
According to senior railway officials, these special services will operate on specified dates throughout October and November, with some schedules extending into early December. The additional trains aim to provide much-needed travel options and alleviate the holiday rush, particularly for passengers traveling home for Diwali and the Chhath festival.
A major focus of the special timetable is catering to pilgrims and travelers heading to and from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. The Northern Railway has introduced four pairs of special services connecting New Delhi with Katra:
- Train Nos. 04081/04082 will operate from New Delhi between October 26 and November 6, with return services from Katra scheduled between October 27 and November 7.
- Train Nos. 04083/04084 are scheduled to run from New Delhi on October 16, returning from Katra on October 17.
- Train Nos. 04085/04086 will depart New Delhi on October 15 and 17, with return journeys on October 16 and 18.
- Train Nos. 04485/04486 will operate from New Delhi on October 18 and 20, returning from Katra on October 19 and 21.
For passengers traveling to Uttar Pradesh, three sets of trains will connect the Jammu Division with Varanasi. Train Nos. 04231/04232 will briefly connect Varanasi and Jammu Tawi on October 18 and 19. For extended connectivity, Train Nos. 04604/04603 will operate between Katra and Varanasi every Sunday until November 29 (returning Tuesdays until December 1), while Train Nos. 04610/04609 will connect Jammu Tawi and Varanasi every Thursday until November 26 (returning Fridays until November 27).
To ease the massive travel rush for the Chhath festival, Train No. 05194 will run directly from Pathankot Junction to Chhapra (Bihar) every Wednesday from October 7 through November 25.
Depending on their specific routes, these special trains will halt at key stations, including Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Saharanpur, and Lucknow.
The Northern Railway has clarified that all festival special services will feature fully reserved accommodation. Passengers are strongly advised to check the applicable operating dates, train timings, and seat availability on the IRCTC website or at official railway reservation counters before finalizing their travel plans.
Published by True Roots Media Network